


Hope For Days To Come

by mansikka



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, New Year's Eve, POV Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22051318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mansikka/pseuds/mansikka
Summary: Alec and Magnus celebrate New Year in New York at a masquerade ball
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 13
Kudos: 104
Collections: Hunter's Moon Fic Recs





	Hope For Days To Come

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TobytheWise](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TobytheWise/gifts).

> Hello! Back in October-ish, I asked readers who wanted festive prompts to enter a 'raffle' of sorts for five prompts. tobythewise won the prompt for **New Year oneshot prompt** and this is the result!

Alec adjusts the cuffs of his shirt checking his reflection in the mirror, smiling for the kiss to the back of his shoulder as Magnus passes behind.

"I love this one on you," Magnus says when Alec looks, winking at him.

"Yes, well, I love _everything_ on you. _And_ off."

Magnus laughs softly, his face twisting up in the beautiful, slightly embarrassed way it does even after five years of marriage, and however long they had before that. One day, Alec intends to have Magnus take a compliment and actually know he deserves it. One day; they do have a lot of time to work on that.

"This has to be the first New Year we've been to New York, right?" Alec asks despite already knowing the answer. Previous years have seen them in Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and even one memorable occasion where they portaled chasing the last hours of the year in several locations. This year feels _quiet_, in a way, but Alec likes that a lot. Their lives have changed somewhat in the last couple of years, become calmer in a lot of ways. Yet there still aren't many chances they have to be _quiet_.

"It is," Magnus agrees, joining Alec at the mirrored closets and adjusting a button on his own shirt; a deep maroon color to match the color of his mask—and his nail polish. He looks _beautiful_, but then, when doesn't he? Alec in comparison is in a charcoal grey shirt that he _knows_ is Magnus' favorite on him. Though his mask won't coordinate like Magnus' does, for his mask being green.

"It's a good charity," Alec adds. He's read up on [Oceana](https://oceana.org/) and all the work they do, pleased that all the proceeds of this masquerade ball are going to them. They've even made a further, separate donation to anything they will contribute tonight. Unlike so many, they have the wealth to survive whatever climate change throws at them, but it isn't really about that; it's about Max's future, and the future of their extended family. What kind of a world are they raising their son in if they don't try to save the planet when they can?

"It is. And it makes sense for these things," Magnus adds with a theatrical spin, holding his mask up to his face. Like Alec's own mask, both are supposed to be held on a stick, but Magnus is using magic to keep them on their faces.

Magnus' mask is a beautiful, symmetrically balanced octopus, maroon in color with gold lining its eyes and limbs. The two lowest tentacles are curved slightly at the tip showing their underneath, encrusted with gems of a matching color. And because this is a ball, and nobody will question it, Magnus is dropping the glamor on his eyes for the night.

"Magnus, it's perfect," Alec says, taking a photo on his phone, knowing _no one_ will look as good as Magnus does.

"As is yours," Magnus replies, lifting Alec's mask to his face then snapping his fingers to keep it in place.

Alec's mask is shorter than Magnus', flaring out to the side of his head instead of down over his face. Its tentacles are metallic, shades of green from bottle to spring. There are gems encrusted in the corners of his eyes, and at Magnus' request, Alec is wearing eyeliner. He checks his appearance for a final time and is pleased with what he sees.

"So. I think we're good to go, right?"

"I think so," Magnus agrees, quickly looking around them, then squeezing Alec by the waist. "It feels strange being in a hotel in New York, doesn't it?"

"It does."

"Still," Magnus says, smiling as he looks once more at their room, "we deserve a little treat. Hmm?"

They could have stayed at the Institute, or Mom's, or even glamored their apartment to bring it here. But as a treat, and because Mom was insistent she and Luke would babysit, they chose here instead. A luxurious hotel where they have already indulged in one another a little, and will continue to do so in the morning. They'll have a late lunch with everyone at Mom's tomorrow afternoon, then portal home in the evening, when Max will already likely be asleep for having two such exciting days.

"We do," Alec agrees. "So? What did Mom say when you called?"

Magnus' face morphs into the most beautiful smile. "Oh. Only that Luke was building a space station out of Lego with him, that he'd already had far too much candy, and that they were about to toast marshmallows and have hot chocolate."

Alec winces for how hyper Max will be after all that sugar, picturing a long, long night ahead for his mom and Luke. "Of course they're spoiling him."

"Who wouldn't?"

"True."

"She mentioned something about a blanket fort as well."

"We used to build them as kids," Alec says, smiling for the memories of building them first with Izzy, then with Jace, and eventually with his brother Max.

"Then, she will have had ample practice. Now. Shall we go?" Magnus asks, holding out his hand.

Alec leans in for a kiss careful not to knock his mask, nodding for Magnus to lead him out.

* * *

The venue for the masquerade ball is beautiful, with a sea theme of blue and green throughout. There are moving projections making the walls appear like moving waves, and swirling lights over the floor giving it the shimmer of the surface of the sea. Alec thinks it should be off-putting or make people feel as though they are moving, but the room is so calm, and peaceful. Some guests are stood to the side at one wall where promotional material for the charity is on display, watching others as they come into the room. The bar is busy, and the tables at the far end of the hall have a queue forming around them as people wait for food.

"This looks amazing," Alec says to Magnus half-under his breath as they explore, smiling and nodding in greeting for anyone who looks their way.

"It really does."

"Are you doing okay?" Alec asks covering their joined hands with his free one. This is the first time Alec can think of that Magnus has been without his eye glamor in public, so he has to check.

Magnus nods, leaning in for a kiss. "I'm good."

"So. Drink first? Or dance?"

"How can I resist dancing with my husband when he looks as he does?" Magnus asks, twirling Alec out on to the dancefloor and taking him in his arms.

Gone are the days when Alec would panic about such a thing, terrified of crushing Magnus' feet or stumbling over his steps. They dance like this so often now; on the balcony, on the streets during celebrations, in clubs and at parties across the world. Sometimes they even dance with Max wedged between them holding him up together. Max giggles and shrieks for it, clasping on to both their chests asking for them to spin faster.

"Does this year feel like it has been busier than ever? The holidays, I mean?" Alec asks as they continue to turn in their small circle.

"I think so. Though perhaps that is because we tried to do even more."

"Max was even more excited this year."

"True. He is a little older, I suppose. He can understand it all a little better."

"I still think we need to talk to Raphael about getting him a miniature drumkit," Alec adds with only a slight frown of exasperation. Raphael had been so _gleeful_ watching Max unwrap it when they had visited him a few days before Christmas. How on earth are they going to get him back for _that_?

Magnus ducks his head, laughing. "Well. I suppose we can use magic for soundproofing if nothing else."

"Simon has already offered to give him lessons. To get him a guitar next year."

"I caught Jace sat with him at his piano when I was looking for you in the Institute on Christmas Eve," Magnus says with a soft smile. "He was pressing his finger to the keys, whispering all the notes to him."

Alec smiles for the image that creates for him; Jace and Clary are amazing with Max. He's pretty sure it won't be long before Max has a cousin. Mom was good enough to hold off until after their wedding to start hinting for grandchildren, but time is ticking away.

There is a polite round of applause when the music ends, bringing to Alec's attention that there is a live band. He nods towards the bar, with Magnus nodding back and slotting their hands together, with more polite greetings for those they pass as they move through the crowd.

Alec orders them champagne, two cold flutes pressed into his hands moments later, holding them high out of the way of people milling around because the bar is so busy. "I didn't expect there to be food," Alec says as he hands Magnus his glass and they clink them together.

"Me neither. Perhaps we should eat a little? Especially as we'll be having more of this."

"Oh. We will," Alec agrees, holding up his glass. He loves all the cocktails Magnus makes them at home, but out of everything, champagne might just be his favorite drink for how indulgent it feels.

There are so many things to eat. Alec bends for Magnus to pop a small cracker with cheese into his mouth, following it with a grape that he sucks from his fingers after a quick glance around them and a wink.

"Perhaps we should have thought about food before we left," Alec says as they help themselves to bite-sized sandwiches.

"Well. There are enough things here to keep us going. We can always walk back to the hotel afterward; I'm sure there will be somewhere open to get something to eat if we need to."

"Hey. Is there gonna be a balloon drop at midnight?" Alec asks then for spotting the net suspended from the ceiling filled with green and blue balloons.

"I think so. I'm sure the website mentioned some kind of raffle ticket inside for prizes."

"Ocean-themed ones?"

"Probably."

"I'll be too distracted kissing you at midnight to notice if they drop them then," Alec says, resting his hand on Magnus' lower back as they move to another table of food.

"I am glad to hear it."

"Seems odd winning prizes at a charity event, doesn't it?"

"I suppose," Magnus says, pointing to some cheese bread things that Alec could eat handfuls of once he tastes.

"We should go dance before I eat the whole table," Alec says, nodding for Magnus to drain his glass. They leave them on the nearest table then Alec leads him back to the dancefloor, finding a spot to dance in among other couples.

"Do you know what else Mom told me earlier?" Magnus asks, forever delighting Alec when he calls her that.

"No?"

"That she _wouldn't be averse to looking after Max for a few days_."

Alec laughs, groaning because he's had a similar conversation. "I can't tell if she just wants to spoil her grandson without us telling her off for it, or if she really thinks we deserve a break."

"It could be both?"

"Probably."

"Well," Magnus says, spinning them away when the couple nearest to them stumbles and he almost gets an elbow in his chest. "I _wouldn't be averse_ to us having a little break either."

"We're taking Max to Barcelona for Kings Day," Alec points out even if he too wouldn't mind them taking a couple of days for themselves.

"True. Though we have some time before then. Neither of us is working."

Alec smiles, because he can already see Magnus going over all the possibilities. They are spending eternity together, and have all the time in the world. Yet the moment there is a hint of them taking a vacation, Magnus is already planning it as though they have never taken one before, or never will again.

"We can talk to Mom tomorrow."

"It would make sense not to put Max through the upheaval of taking him back home, and then back here again."

"We could go home, pick up some things for him first?"

"We could," Magnus agrees, and Alec knows the idea is already formed.

"We'll talk to her tomorrow," Alec says again, even if he's already picturing a beach somewhere with the two of them alone.

The tempo of the music shifts then; Magnus discreetly leads Alec away from the couple beside them who clearly have already appreciated many trips to the bar. They have more champagne, standing to the edge of the dancefloor just to enjoy all the masks whirling around them before joining them again.

They meet a couple visiting from Madrid, giving them both an excuse to use their Spanish. Magnus is far better, of course, for having so much more practice, but Alec has been taking lessons ever since he became Inquisitor—with Raphael, who refuses to speak to him in anything in Spanish these days. The way Magnus all but manhandles Alec to the relative privacy of the wall outside the venue's bathrooms to kiss him senseless lets Alec know _he_ still has a thing for hearing him speak other languages.

Around eleven they bump into staff from Oceana, spending a few minutes discussing their current projects and what they aim to do with the money raised by this masquerade ball. Alec has the urge for them to go sailing when they've finished speaking with them, and wonders about the possibility of him, Magnus, and Max doing some kind of working vacation for a week next summer, inspired by all they've just heard about ocean pollution.

The noise in the hall begins to raise in excitement the closer they get to midnight, with Magnus and Alec drinking several more glasses of champagne which leaves them both a little rosy-cheeked and bright-eyed. They find a space on the dancefloor, moving in time with the music though not really paying attention as they talk about Max, their extended family, the work they have coming up when they eventually return, and of course their newly-impending _break_.

A booming voice announces the countdown. They have celebrated New Year together for several years now, but it still gets Alec excited that he gets to see in the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one with Magnus by his side. For him, it's a moment to reflect on all the memories they've made, and hope for all the new ones they are yet to make together. They have a long, long life ahead of them filled with such possibilities; Alec still intends to cherish every one.

"Are you ready?" Magnus says, though Alec more sees it than hears him speak for all the noise in the room. He nods back, squeezing his sides as they begin to count.

At midnight, the room erupts into cheering and celebration, the balloons falling down around them as the opening notes of Auld Lang Syne begin to play. Alec and Magnus are jostled for the groups already forming around them to join hands to sing and dance, but first, they have something more important to do.

"Happy New Year, Magnus," Alec says, smiling when Magnus squeezes his arms.

"And to you, Alexander," he replies, leaning in when Alec does for a kiss.

The dancing goes on around them, both of them forgetting anyone else exists. Which is how it should be, Alec thinks, when they pull apart pink lipped and grinning. Though he doesn't have long to think on it for a man grabbing his arm and insisting he and Magnus join yet another swirling group. They sing along to the chorus of Auld Lang Syne playing for what has to be the third or even fourth time, smiling at each other and clinging on tight as they are spun around the room.

When they leave the ball almost an hour later, they are just as disheveled as all the other guests. But unlike those other guests, Magnus and Alec's masks are still intact and perfect on their faces. They make their way back to their hotel hand in hand still wearing those masks, earning several strange looks when they stop to order pizza. And they are still wearing those masks—and not a lot else—when they finally fall into bed.


End file.
